“Who are you?” Odd asked.
“That’s Eva, one of Captain Drisana’s scouts,” a man said. He stood near the front.
Odd jerked his thumb at me hovering behind him. “She’s here. Now spit it out.”
“You can’t go straight east through the woods. There’s a line of soldiers waiting for you. You need to follow the dry creek bed in order to get out. It’s just north of here, then it turns east,” Eva said.
“Is this from the captain?” Odd asked.
“No. The captain didn’t know about the blockade. Prince Kerrick told her and then he sent me.”
Did she just say... My heart stopped beating. I pushed Odd out of my way. “You’ve seen Kerrick?”
“Yes.”
“Where?” I demanded.
“He’s in the forest. He said the forest will protect him.”
“We need to go, now,” Saul said. “We’ll figure this out later.”
“All right. Go! Find the creek bed,” I ordered.
They rushed out, heading north. When the girl moved to follow, I grabbed her arm. “Not yet. Show me where you last saw Kerrick.”
“Now?” Eva glanced around. Shouts and a battle noises emanated from the northwest. “Captain Drisana is going to be retreating soon. And once that happens—”
“Those ambushers won’t remain in place. Just tell me where he is. Please!”
She stared at me. “I’ll take you. Come on.”
We followed the others until we reached the forest, then the girl turned west, back toward the fighting and traveling just a few feet inside the woods. She moved with a quick confidence. But best of all, her passage was quiet.
I wished I could say the same about my heart. It thudded so loud, it drowned out the yells and clangs of metal nearby. Suppressing all hope, I focused on keeping close to Eva. It was quite possible she was mistaken about Kerrick. And to believe anything else at this time would be setting myself up for a crushing disappointment.
Eva paused. I searched the surrounding area for any soldiers. The high fence of the POW camp showed through the thinning trees. Dark forms raced along the outside of it. Drisana must have signaled the retreat.
“He was here,” Eva said. “Then he turned the same color as the forest.”
Only Kerrick could camouflage himself like that. Despite my best efforts, hope surged. “He probably left. This is a dangerous spot.”
“No, he was sick or something. He was lying on the ground.”
Oh, no. I touched a nearby bush, seeking the tingle of his magic. Nothing. Don’t panic. Kerrick might be unconscious and in need of my help. He couldn’t have gone far. Remembering how I found him before, I drew in a deep breath. Damp earth, the scent of fallen leaves, and smoke from the fires burning in the soldiers’ camp all laced the air. No spring sunshine.
I considered. If he was injured, he’d go farther into the forest. Crawling on my hands and knees, I searched the ground, exploring with my hands.
“Uh, Healer Avry...” Eva said.
“Go. Before you’re—”
“Are you insane?” Loren asked. Quain and Flea stood next to him. The fierce expressions on their faces meant they’d carry me from the woods if they had to.
“If Kerrick’s here, he’s safer than you. Come on!” Loren grabbed my elbow, hauling me to my feet.
“No.” I yanked my arm from his grasp and stumbled back. An invisible hand wrapped around my ankle.
“Avry?” asked a bush.
I squealed with pure joy and crouched down, finding Kerrick. Arms snaked around my back as he pulled me close. The rest of the world disappeared as I clung to him, breathing in his scent, feeling his chest move. Bliss.
“Avry,” he sighed.
“Where did she go?” Flea asked.
“Flea’s here?” Kerrick released me, but I stayed next to him as he moved into a sitting position.
His magic buzzed through me and his camouflage disappeared. The monkeys and Flea beamed at him.
Kerrick frowned. “Get out of here before the blockade—”
The unmistakable ruckus of an army on the move exploded around us.
“Too late,” Eva said. She balanced on the balls of her feet as if ready to bolt.
Kerrick pushed up the sleeves of his arms. “Grab on, gentlemen.” He grasped my hand with his. “Eva, you, too.”